To color elements, nodes, part instances, materials, and sections:

Locate the Color Code options.

From the main menu bar, select ToolsColor Code; the Color Code dialog box appears.

Tip:  You can also access the Color Code options using the tool in the toolbox.

To color the model using the available element sets and the default automatic color scheme (as shown in the Color column), click Apply in the Color Code dialog box.

To change the color settings, select an Item type from the list at the top left of the dialog box. The following item types are available:

Attribute to color elements using a common attribute.

Elements to color individual elements.

Nodes to color individual nodes.

Clear All to remove all color coding from the current viewport.

Note:  When you apply Clear All, the Color Code dialog box retains changes you have made using element attribute color mapping; color mapping changes for individual elements and nodes are reset.

Choose a selection method from the Method list; and/or select specific items to color code by picking from the viewport, selecting from the Color Mapping table, or entering data in the Color Mapping table. See “Color coding by attributes,” Section 37.4.3, and “Color coding by nodes or elements,” Section 37.4.4, for more detailed information.

Note:  If you intend to use multiple item types and/or selection methods in a color scheme, you must apply each selection method separately. Clicking OK or Apply applies only the changes for the current method.

If you selected the Attribute item type and chose a selection method for which you previously saved an ASCII file containing the color mapping information; position the cursor over the Color Mapping table, click mouse button 3, and select Read from file to select the file and load the color information.

For more information on reading and writing color mapping information to a file, see “Color coding by attributes,” Section 37.4.3.

Edit the colors in the table to create the desired color scheme.

Click and hold mouse button 1 on the Edit Color symbol (=, *, or ) at the upper right of the Color Mapping table to edit the color of all highlighted cells in the Edge and Color columns.

From the list that appears, select one of the three color symbols:

An equals sign (=) indicates that ABAQUS/CAE should use the current colors displayed in the viewport (selecting this option does not change any colors). This option is most useful when you do not want to change a node or element color that you have already applied in the viewport.

Note:  You cannot select this option when color coding by attribute; to preserve the current colors of selected items when using the Attribute item type, Deactivate their rows in the table.

An asterisk (*) indicates that ABAQUS/CAE should use the colors set in the Color & Style options for the current plot mode and render style. (For more information, see “Selecting overall element and surface edge color,” Section 37.3.3.) This option is useful for resetting individual selections to their default colors without removing all color changes from the viewport.

A color sample () indicates that ABAQUS/CAE should use a custom color. Choosing the color sample symbol opens the Select Color dialog box for you to choose a new color. (For more information, see “Customizing colors,” Section 3.2.9.)

Tip:  You can also double-click the Edit Color symbol or a single color symbol in the Color Mapping table to immediately open the Select Color dialog box.

If you selected the Nodes item type and you want to change the node symbol shape or size, click and hold mouse button 1 on the symbol or size lists that appear in the Edit node display area.

Click Apply to implement your changes.

If the current plot mode options allow individual color code selections to override the colors applied to the plot mode, ABAQUS applies the specified colors to the items you have selected. For more information, see “Understanding how individual item coloring interacts with model coloring,” Section 37.4.1.

If you changed the color, size, or shape of node symbols, ABAQUS/CAE automatically activates node symbols for the current plot mode.

Repeat Steps 3–8 to color additional items.

Note:  Elements and nodes can be members of more than one set, part instance, or display group; part instances can also belong to more than one display group. In such a case ABAQUS displays the color most recently applied to the item.

If you created a color scheme using the Attribute item type and you want to save it to an ASCII file; position the cursor over the Color Mapping table, click mouse button 3, and select Write to file. Choose a file name in the Select File dialog box, and click OK.

Important:  ABAQUS/CAE saves the information for only the current selection method. If you used multiple methods, you must save each one separately.

For more information on reading and writing color mapping information to a file, see “Color coding by attributes,” Section 37.4.3.

If desired, select Clear All from the Item list and click Apply to remove all color code changes from the viewport.

The Color Code dialog box retains changes you have made using the Attribute item type, but color changes that you made to individual elements and nodes are discarded. Any viewport, label, or results selections are also discarded.

If desired, click Defaults to restore the default colors in the dialog box, including the default automatic color scheme.

ABAQUS/CAE resets the default selections and colors in the Color Code dialog box for the current item type and selection method. If the current selection method required you to choose items from the viewport or enter labels or results in the Color Mapping table, ABAQUS/CAE also clears your item selections—restoring the default table where no items were selected.

The colors in the viewport are not changed unless you click Apply.